


New Orleans

by Satine86



Series: that modern AU [18]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Banter, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen, Humor, Meeting the Parents, Outtakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 12:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satine86/pseuds/Satine86
Summary: Phillip's first Christmas with the Wheelers.





	1. Anne

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still not done clearing out my WIP folder, which mainly consists of TTP verse. This has gone through about 12 different iterations, but I just want everyone to officially meet Naomi "I'm your mother now" Wheeler.

“Are you nervous?” Anne asked. She leaned forward from the backseat to wrap her arms around Phillip’s neck. 

“No? Should I be?” He curled his fingers around her wrist, gave it a quick squeeze. W.D. made a retching noise in the driver’s seat. 

“Oh, shut up and watch the road,” Anne groused. 

“Someone’s pissy,” W.D. said with a grin. “Plane ride too long for you? Does baby need a nap?”

“I’m not pissy, you’re just annoying.” 

“Now, now children. Behave.” Phillip untangled Anne’s arms and turned in his seat to look at her. “Are _you_ nervous?”

“No. Yes? Maybe a little? It’s just different bringing you home like this, and I want it to go well. That’s all.”

“I already talk to your mom semi-regularly on Skype, we have a bond. Besides, you’ve already met my parents, and I think we can all agree nothing could possibly be worse than that.” 

“No lie,” W.D. said, flicking on his turn signal. “I’d totally punch your dad if I ever met him.” 

“Well, you’d have to get in line behind me first.” 

“Fair enough.” W.D. laughed gleefully. 

“Anyway,” Phillip turned his attention back to Anne. “It’s going to be perfectly fine, so don’t worry about it. Okay?”

“Okay.” Anne nodded. She was still worrying about it though. It wasn’t the first time a boyfriend had spent Christmas with her family, but it was the first time it was an out of state stay. Meaning they were going be trapped in her mom’s house the entire time. There was no question it would go better that the weekend of Eddie’s wedding -- it honestly wouldn’t take much to be better -- but there was also less room. Less privacy. And the fact Phillip wasn’t used to any of the chaos that was going to ensue. 

As if he could read her frantic thoughts, Phillip lifted her hand and kissed it. W.D. gagged again as he slowed the car and turned into a driveway. 

“Okay, lovebirds. We’re here.” 

The Wheeler home was a mid-century red brick house, with a white porch and a well kept garden. A perfect fit for the quiet street it resided on. Nearly the moment they were out of the car, the front door opened and Naomi Wheeler hurried down the steps. Dark skinned with an oval shaped face, Anne had inherited her eyes while W.D. had inherited her wide, toothy smile. It was W.D who reached her first, lifting her clean off her feet as she laughed in delight.

“You look so good!” she said, pulling back and sizing W.D. up. 

“So do you mama, the garden keeping you in shape?” 

“You know it.” She grinned. Anne took that moment to wriggle her way in, shooing W.D. away so she could hug their mother. 

“It’s so good to see you, baby,” she said, rocking Anne side to side. “You’re taking care of yourself, right?” She let Anne go to give her a once over as well.

“Of course I am.” 

“That’s good. I worry about you both up there in New York.” She looked back and forth between them. “But you haven’t starved yet so I’ll take it. Now,” she said firmly. “Where is that Phillip Carlyle? I need a proper introduction face to face.” 

Phillip stepped forward hesitantly. “Right here, Mrs. Wheeler.” 

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you twenty times. You can call me Naomi.” 

“I’ll try… Naomi,” he added.

“That’ll have to do.” She laughed and stepped forward, drawing him into a tight hug. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person.” 

“You too.” He returned her hug, and looked at Anne over her shoulder. Now he looked nervous, and Anne gave him an encouraging smile. 

After a moment Naomi leaned back and sized Phillip up the same way she had Anne and W.D. Once she found whatever she was looking for, she patted his cheek gently and stepped back. 

“Come on inside y’all, your grandmother is already here.” Naomi linked arms with Anne, leading her inside while Phillip and W.D. followed with their bags. 

The minute she stepped inside, Anne took in a deep breath. It smelled like home. She had missed it, it had been too long since she had visited. Although one scent was overriding the usual household smells. Savory and mouthwatering. 

“No, mama,” Anne cried when she realized what it was. “Did you start the étouffée? I wanted to help.”

“Your grandmother started it, but you can still help.” She smirked at Anne. “Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to impress Phillip with home cooking.” 

Anne sighed and pressed her lips together, resolutely avoiding Phillip’s questioning gaze. At that moment her grandmother appeared. Linette was their mother’s mother, and still lived close to her daughter. 

Despite being in her late seventies, Linette was still a rather spry woman. She kept her white hair in short, tight curls against her head, and was built more like her granddaughter; lean and willowy limbed. 

The second she appeared both Anne and W.D. started jostling for her attention, like they did when they were kids. She dutifully asked how their flight was and if they were hungry, but as soon as the usual pleasantries were out of the way she waved her grandchildren off. 

“Okay enough of you two. I wanna meet the newcomer.” She walked up to Phillip and looked him over. “You’re cute,” she said before turning to look at Anne. “He’s cute!”

“I’ve always thought so.” Anne grinned. W.D. once again pretended to gag. She smacked him. 

“You know,” Linette said slowly, looking at Phillip again. “If I were a couple years younger, I might chase after a fella like you.”

“Grandma!” Anne chided.

“What? It’s true.” 

Anne started rubbing her temple while Phillip smothered a laugh. He leaned in close to Linette, as if confiding in her. 

“That’s very flattering, but I feel I should inform you that I am quite smitten with your granddaughter.” He glanced at Anne and smiled. 

“Well of course you are,” Linette waved a hand dismissively. “Anyone could tell when you look at her like that.” She turned around to face the others, jerked a thumb at Phillip over her shoulder. “Poor boy looks like he can barely function, he’s so in love.”

Phillip was laughing in earnest now, hand covering his mouth. Anne mostly felt mortified. Her grandmother, however, didn’t seem to notice either way. Or at the very least, she didn’t care.

“Now, I hope y’all are hungry. We have quite a spread cooking.” She linked her arm with W.D. “I know you can eat.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, happily escorting her into the kitchen. Naomi shook her head and followed behind them. 

Still laughing, Phillip sidled up to Anne. “She’s fun,” he said.

“I’m so sorry. She’s old and has no filter.” 

“She wasn’t wrong. I am stupidly in love with you.” He grinned at her. Anne groaned. “You look like her,” he said. 

“Everyone says that. I’ll dig out some photos from when she was my age. She was quite glamorous.”

“I can believe it.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “At least now I know you’ll age well.” 

“Ha ha,” she mock laughed, then grimaced. “Does that mean you’ll age like your dad?”

He pulled a face. “Ew, god. Let’s hope not. Although he supposedly takes after his father, and everyone claims I take after my mother’s mother. At least that’s what people told me when I was kid.” 

“What did you look like as a kid? There weren’t any family photos at the estate that I ever saw.” Anne narrowed her eyes and tilted her head from side to side, trying to imagine it. It was surprisingly difficult. 

“Nah, they don’t keep anything like that there. Far too much like real human people. I don’t even know if my parents have any out at their place in the city.”

“Really?”

“It’s just not how it works with them. There were a couple portraits, professional and distant. That was enough.” He shrugged. “As for what I looked like as a kid? Imagine a rounder jaw with a perpetual baby face, and a noticeable gap in the front teeth.”

“Aw, I bet you were adorable.” She reached up and combed her fingers through his hair. “I wish there were pictures.”

“Sorry. But again we can just blame my parents for everything. For now though, I’m way more interested in baby Anne photos. Or baby W.D?” 

Anne let her eyes go wide. “He was such a fat baby, you won’t believe it!” She grabbed his hand, dragging him to the living room.


	2. Phillip

“So, this is your old bedroom?”

Phillip took in the pale blue walls and white wicker furniture. There was a desk shoved against one wall, below the window that looked out over the backyard. Various broadway and band posters adorned the walls, along with a dreamboard she had quickly shoved in the closet. Awards and trophies were strewn around the room, tucked on bookcases and sat on her desk. Phillip looked at each of them with interest. 

“Don’t look at them all, some of them are so dumb.” 

“What? I think it’s great.” He picked a blue ribbon up. “Though I am offended you never told me you went to cheer camp. I have so many questions.” 

Anne shook her head. “Don’t you dare.” 

“Were there nightly pillow fights?” 

“Oh my god, stop. I was fifteen.” 

“Just tell me one thing. Do you still have the uniform?” 

“Phillip!” She picked up a throw pillow from her bed and chucked it at his head. He caught it easily and went back to examining everything.

“Cheer, dance, drama, spelling bees. Did you do everything besides a team sport… oh, no, you did basketball too.” 

“I was a very active kid, I think mom just signed me up for stuff to keep me from running circles around the house.” She laughed. “You must’ve had a thousand and one extracurriculars though.” 

“Well, yeah, but mine were just to look good on my college application. Had to keep that Yale tradition alive.” He gave her an unenthusiastic thumbs up. 

“What did you do?” 

“Things befitting a young Carlyle?” Phillip sat down on the end of her bed. “Debate, in case I wanted to become a lawyer or a politician, and Model UN for the same reasons -- those being the only acceptable choices besides business, of course. Then I tutored younger grades for leadership qualities and to help the community, by golly!”

“You sound like a nerd.” 

He laughed. “I guess, it was all a carefully constructed plan by my parents. I just had to follow it. Which was fine because that left me time on the weekends to party. Highly important for a budding alcoholic.” 

Anne scooted down the bed, intentionally jostling him with every movement, and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“Well, I’m glad you stopped following their plans.” 

“Yeah, me too.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and smiled. Eventually he went back to studying her room. “So, how many boys did you bring up here?” 

“Phillip,” she hissed and shoved him. 

“I’m only curious.”

“Why do I feel like you’re really asking if I’ve kissed any boys up here?” He shrugged and Anne paused, thinking about it for a moment.

“One,” she finally said. He must have made some dissatisfied face at that, because Anne leaned in and kissed him. “That’s you, dummy.” 

“Oh, I see.” He grinned. “But not that one boyfriend, that… uh, Tony boyfriend?”

“I didn't bring boys up to my room and make out with them.” Anne maneuvered to straddle his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She brought her mouth close to his, “I was a good girl.”

“Not that I'm complaining, but I do have to wonder what happened?” He slowly slid his hands over the fronts of her thighs. “Because I don’t think this is necessarily good girl behavior. But again I am in no way complaining.” 

Anne laughed and pecked his lips. “Let’s see, what has changed since high school?” She thought it over, tilting her head from side to side, her hips mirroring the movement. “I think,” she said. “The major difference is you.”

“Are you saying I bring this out in you?”

“Mhm. That's exactly what I'm saying.” 

“Well then.” 

A knock had Anne scrambling off Phillip's lap, attempting to arrange herself on the bed next to him. Naomi stood in the doorway, barely containing her laughter.

“Sorry to interrupt?”

“Mom!”

“What? You're the one who left your door open. I only came to say goodnight, and to let Phillip know the green towels in the bathroom are for him.”

“Thank you… Naomi.”

“Be still my heart. He got right the first time.” Naomi stepped fully into the room and dropped a kiss to the top of Anne's head. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Night, mama.”

“Goodnight, Phillip,” Naomi said in a song-song way.

“Goodnight, N-” He stopped short when she pressed a kiss to his hair. Then he felt his face grow hot.

“Oh, he's so cute when he blushes.”

“Isn't he!?” Anne cried, bumping his shoulder. “It's pretty much my favorite thing. And then he gets all flustered. The best.”

“I'll have to keep that in mind.” They were both laughing.

“Oh, god,” Phillip mumbled. “At least now I know where Anne gets it.”

Naomi was still laughing as she walked to the door. “Sleep well you two.”

As soon as she was gone, Anne rushed to the door and shut it. She leaned back against the frame and sighed. 

“So that was fun,” she said. “You're still pink.”

“Thanks, I'm aware.” He tilted his head at her. “I’m glad you’re more relaxed now. You weren’t earlier.” 

Anne looked down at her feet, lips pressed together while she thought. “I just wanted you to like it, I think.”

“I do like it. I like your mom and your grandma, and your house. I like your old room. It’s…” He glanced around searching for the right word. “It’s real. It’s the kind of life someone should have. And I’m glad you did. One of us needed to turn out normal.” 

She laughed and pushed away from the door. “Come on, let’s get ready for bed.” 

“Wait, am I sleeping here?”

“Yeah.” 

“Did your mom approve that?” 

“Phillip,” she sighed. “We’re both adults and we live together. It’s fine.” 

“You’re sure?” 

“Oh, my god. Yes. Just put on your pajamas, I’m gonna go wash my face.” She rolled her eyes and started rooting around in her suitcase for her toiletry bag. 

“Are you sure this isn’t just a ploy to get me naked? Or partially naked?” 

“You caught me.” Anne pulled her shirt over her head and smiled. 

“Okay, that’s nice. Really nice, in fact. But that’s not happening.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean all joking aside nothing like that,” he gestured toward Anne, clad in only her bra. “Is happening in your old bedroom with your boyband posters on the wall, and your mom and W.D. like twenty feet away.” 

“I see.” Anne once again moved to straddle his lap. “Are you sure about that?” 

“I really wish I wasn’t.” 

“If we’re quiet then no one would know.” She ducked her head, started kissing his neck. 

“Okay, but babe? I’m not the one with volume control issues.” 

She jerked back and frowned at him. “I'm not loud.”

“Yeah, you are. But again that's not a complaint. So, um, please continue doing that? Just not now. Later, at home.”

Anne opened her mouth, paused, and then shut it again. Her brows furrowed together as she thought, her gaze not focused on him. Then her eyes snapped up to meet his.

“I’m not loud all the time,” she said. Phillip tried to keep his face neutral. Anne frowned a little deeper. “Don’t make that face at me.” 

“I’m not making a face.” 

“Yes, you are. It’s your polite ‘I hate everything about this’ face.” She gasped and swatted his arm. “It’s your Hamptons face. Don’t make the Hamptons face at me.” 

“It’s not my Hamptons face.”

“It is.” 

“No, it’s my… it’s my ‘I have no idea how to salvage this situation because you are loud and I don’t want to get caught, but you’re shirtless and on my lap.’” 

“I could take pity on you.” 

“Would you?” He hadn’t meant to sound as hopeful as he did. It was just very difficult to concentrate the longer she sat there. 

“Yeah, you’re pretty cute when you’re flustered.” 

Phillip narrowed his eyes. “Oh, you’re horrible.” 

“I love you, baby.” She pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek, and climbed off his lap. He watched as she yanked a tshirt over her head and snatched up her toiletry bag. “But look on the bright side,” she said, her hand on the doorknob. 

“What’s that?” 

“When we get back home I’ll be sure to be extra loud.” She stepped into the hall and shut the door with a faint click. 

He flopped back against the bed, yanked a pillow over his face and groaned.


	3. Naomi

They were seated side by side at the dining table, W.D. and Linette long gone to go play a game of backgammon, a tradition for the pair. Breakfast dishes were still on the table, all ready to be packed up into the dishwasher.

“Stop it,” Phillip hissed laughingly. He swatted Anne’s hand away for the hundredth time since they sat down. “You’re such a child.” 

“I just want you to share with me. I’m a growing girl.” She made another grab for his plate.

“That’s always your excuse when you steal my food. This is my bacon. And I happen to know there’s more warming in the oven.”

“Then it’s not a big deal if I take some.” She gave him a charming smile. He wasn’t having it.

“Exactly, so go get it for yourself.” 

“If you loved me you would share with me.” 

“Oh, no. We’re not playing that game.” 

“Don’t you loooove me, Phillip?” She leaned toward him and batted her eyes. He leaned in as well.

“Why do I feel like this is a trap?” 

“Because it is.” She kissed his nose just as her hand darted out and snagged the last piece of bacon sitting on his plate. She sat up straight and shoved it in her mouth before he could react. 

“Really?” he said. At her happy nod, Phillip sighed and stood up from the table to make his way to the kitchen. 

Naomi snorted into her coffee cup, and tried to pretend like she hadn’t been spying on the pair. She had been cleaning up the kitchen, but once she had finished she had leaned back against the counter to watch the show happening in the dining room. Although the moment Phillip stepped into the kitchen she knew it didn’t matter.

“The things you put up with,” she said with a smile. 

“Nah,” Phillip shook his head. “She’s the one who puts up with me.” 

“Mhm,” Naomi hummed. “And I know that girl doesn’t put up with anything she doesn’t want to.”

“Fair point.” He laughed. 

Setting aside her cup, Naomi looked at Anne through the doorway and saw she was fiddling on her phone. Probably texting everyone back in New York. Naomi slid a little close to Phillip. 

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“What’s that?” 

“I knew she was in love with you before she did.” 

He looked genuinely surprised, brows arching up toward his hairline. Blue eyes wide. “You did?” 

“I did.” She nodded. “I remember when they were hired, they were both so excited to have a job working together and not have to have any more side jobs. I remember they told me all about the theater and Mister Barnum. Then they had their first company meeting, and I heard about the other performers. I also heard about Mister Carlyle. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it did stick out to me how much Anne mentioned Mister Carlyle.” 

Phillip was chewing on his lip, obviously a little bit pleased with that information. Naomi grinned at him and continued her story. 

“As the weeks wore on and they settled, I would hear more stories about work. I didn’t always heard about Mister Barnum or Lettie or whomever else, but I did always hear about Mister Carlyle.” 

“What did you think of that?” he asked slowly. 

“I didn’t know what to think. So I looked up your picture on the theater website. I saw you were young and very handsome, and I thought ‘oh no she’s got a crush on her boss.’ But I know Anne has a good head on her shoulders, I trust her. And I like to think I raised her right.” 

“You did. I mean I’m probably biased, but Anne is an amazing person.” 

“You are biased, but so I am.” She winked at him. “Anyway, I decided to just let things take their course. I thought eventually her crush would subside, and it wouldn’t be a problem. Then one day we were on webcam, and she was telling me some funny story from work. She was laughing and animated and just being herself. She mentioned something Lettie did and then it was, ‘and Phillip said…’” 

“Now,” Naomi looked Phillip in the eye. “That was the first time I’d heard her say your name. But it was the way she said it and the look on her face. I had never seen it before, but I knew exactly what it meant. It meant she loved you. Of course it took her a little longer to figure out, and then she didn’t tell me until well after the fact.”

He winced. “Yeah, I’m sorry.” 

“Phillip, honey. It might not have been the best time, but I’ve heard a lot about that weekend, from you and her. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that nothing that happened was your fault. Besides, you have admit it all worked for the best.”

“Yeah, I guess it did.” Phillip looked a little shy, but still pleased. He looked down at this feet and spoke. “You know, it was kind of love at first for me. I just knew there was something about Anne, something special. And selfishly I just wanted it, wanted her, in my life.” He laughed, a little nervously.

“Well, the point here is that I don’t think it’s going anywhere. That look I saw? It’s the same look she has whenever you walk into a room, or someone mentions your name.” Naomi reached out and placed her hand on his back, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades like she would do to either of her children. “You’re a good boy, Phillip. Or excuse me, a young man.” 

“Thank you, Naomi.”

“See, it’s getting easier.” She grinned. 

In the dining room Anne’s voice sounded, “Baby?” 

“Yeah?” he called back. 

“Is there any coffee left?”

“There is,” Naomi said. 

“Phillip, will you bring me some?” 

Naomi scoffed and walked to the kitchen door. “You stop bossing that sweet boy around, Annie. I know you’re perfectly capable of getting your own coffee.”

“But he likes it when I boss him around.” 

“You know what?” Naomi looked between Anne and Phillip; the former was cackling while the latter looked as if his eyes were about to fall out of his head. “I didn’t need to know that, and I ain’t getting involved in any of it.” She held up her hands and walked away. 

Before she reached the living room, Naomi could hear Phillip hissing behind her. 

“Why would you say that to your mom?” 

Whatever Anne’s reply was it got lost in her laughter. Naomi walked into the living to find a rather headed game of backmonnon going on. 

“Mama, I’m going to get more coffee. Make sure grandma doesn’t cheat.” 

“I never cheat, I’m a lady!”

“‘Course you don’t.” 

“I would avoid the dining room if I were you, Wilfred,” Naomi said. 

“When does the honeymoon phase end? They’re disgusting.” He pulled a face and snatched up his coffee cup before heading to the kitchen. 

“For those two? I don’t think it will.” Naomi took a seat on the couch. “You know what, mama? I think they’re gonna get married.” 

Linette scoffed. “Oh honey, they’ve barely been dating for a minute. Give them a little time, then you can start hinting at grandbabies. It’s what I did, remember?” 

“That’s not what I mean, and I’m not saying they’ll get married tomorrow. All I’m saying is one day they will. I would bet on it.” 

“I like Phillip,” Linette said. Then she reached out and moved one of her pieces on the board.

“Mama,” Naomi warned.

“Oh, he won’t notice if you don’t tell him.” She waved a hand airily. 

Naomi rolled her eyes. “I like Phillip, too. He makes her happy. And she makes him happy. That’s why I think they’re going to get married. Once they do then I’ll mention the grandbabies.” 

Linette howled with laughter. “I knew it. Hope they’re fat like Wilfred, he was the cutest baby.”

“I was not fat!” He was scowling as he entered the living room, which only deepened when he retook his seat and looked down at the board. “Grandma!” 

“Is she cheating again?” Anne asked as she and Phillip made their way from the dining room.

“I do not cheat!”

“Yes you do!” Both Anne and W.D. cried in unison. Anne perched herself on the armrest of Linette's chair, and started inspecting the board.

Naomi noticed Phillip hovering, uncertain what to do with himself. She caught his eye and nodded him over to sit next to her.

“Are they always like this?” he whispered once he was settled, on the bickering trio.

“Yup,” she said with a laugh.

“I'm glad I came for Christmas.” He flashed her a warm smile.

Naomi rested her head on his shoulder, again something she would do with either of her children, and gave his arm a gentle pat.

“So am I, sweetheart.”

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone just cuddle Phillip, he needs cuddles. Anyway, I hope you all are having a good winter holiday season. I'll be back with more soon... probably. (I'm sorry).


End file.
